PSP Game Reviews
Mini Review LocoRoco: Midnight Carnival (PSP) - A Frustrating Yet Jubilant Jamboree
Bouncing back
LocoRoco: Midnight Carnival, a spin-off entry in the series from Japan Studio, released on the PSP in 2009 to mixed reviews. So it comes as a pleasant surprise to see it revitalised for PS5 and PS4 in the form of an enhanced emulation, with up-rendering, rewind, quick-save, Trophies (including a Platinum) and custom video filters. For...
Mini Review Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (PSP) - Passable 2007 Debut of Series on PSP
Grind derails
Notable as the series' debut on the PSP, as well as for being developed by High Impact Games — and not by Insomniac Games — Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters stumbles slightly by slowing the pace of progression through the franchise's classic weapon and gadget upgrade structure. With a humdrum story set after Ratchet: Deadlocked,...
Mini Review Super Stardust Portable (PSP) - Single-Stick Shooting Falls Short
(Star)Dusting off retro titles
Housemarque's best known for its twin-stick shooters, with Resogun being a notable recent example. However, its space shooting series, Stardust, shouldn’t be forgotten. Originating back on the Amiga in 1993, it's been a huge inspiration for the modern twin-stick shooters we see today. Super Stardust Portable...
Review Killzone: Liberation (PSP) - Top-Down Shooter's a Bit of a Slog
Muddy aiming mars some nice ideas
The PSP was many things to many people, a delightful little slice of hardware that ended up with a pretty stellar library of ports and new games — but one thing you could never say about it was that it had a second analogue stick. That sole little control nub on its left had to do a heck of a lot of heavy lifting,...
Review Jeanne d'Arc (PSP) - Long Awaited Strategy RPG Remains Divine
The Maiden has arrived
Jeanne d'Arc is a pseudo-historical retelling of the story of Joan of Arc from developer Level-5, released on PSP in 2007. It always had a reputation as a rock-solid turn-based strategy RPG, but as publisher Sony never released the title in Europe and other territories, it was one many that players outside the U.S. and Japan...
Mini Review Ridge Racer 2 (PSP) - A Greatest Hits Album for Arcade Racing Royalty
Now that's what I call drifting
The original release of PSP's Ridge Racer 2 could be criticised for being almost exactly the same game as its predecessor, only with a few more tracks and modes. However, that doesn't really matter today, especially now it's one of the rare Ridge Racer titles playable on modern consoles. With its one blemish now moot,...
Mini Review Pinball Heroes (PSP) - First-Party PlayStation Time Capsule in Pinball Form
Ball saver
Pinball Heroes feels like a strange snapshot of time, and we mean that in the best possible way. Originally released for the PSP in 2009 as eight digitally downloadable tables, it launched just prior to PlayStation rediscovering its mojo. The context is key here: the PS3 was getting its butt stomped by the Xbox 360, and PS Studios was...
Long time coming
The Summon Night series has a bit of a niche following in the strategy role-playing game genre. To the surprise of many, it was announced that a localized version of Summon Night 5 would not only get to launch on the PlayStation Network, but would also nab a physical release here in the West. So, is it worth dusting off the ol'...
Review Brandish: The Dark Revenant (PlayStation Portable)
Resurrect an old friend
Brandish: The Dark Revenant was originally released on the Super Nintendo in 1991. Despite its rocky reception, it was eventually ported to the PlayStation Portable in 2009 in Japan. And, after six years, it's finally travelled overseas, with a full English localisation. The big question is: has it been worth the wait? The...
Review Streetkix Freestyle (PlayStation Portable)
A kick in the balls
Soccer may not be the most popular sport in the United States, but the same can’t be said outside of the country. Around the world, not only is football enormous, but it’s a lifestyle for many. As a result, the beautiful game has its own street iteration, boasting a number of mind-boggling ball tricks. Streetkix Freestyle...
Review Elminage Original (PlayStation Portable)
Classic dungeon crawling
Elminage Original harks back to the early days of dungeon crawlers. It's an RPG that revels in simplicity, yet cloaks it in a shroud of ill-explained character classes and nonlinear progression. It very much looks and feels like its 80s and 90s ancestors, such as the Wizardry series and early Dragon Quests. It imitates the...
Review Corpse Party: Book of Shadows (PlayStation Portable)
Shock till you drop
With a title like Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, it’s immediately clear that you’re going to be in for a bumpy ride. The sequel continues the sadistic, horribly twisted atmosphere of the first game perfectly well – but it doesn’t bring much new to the table. It’s admittedly more of an expansion to the first game than a...
Review Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PlayStation Portable)
A fang-tastic introduction to Castlevania's finest instalments
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is one of those packages that sits awkwardly on the fence between remake and compilation. While the main attraction is the fully-fledged modern day remake of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood there are other prizes on offer which may take a player’s...
Review Daxter (PlayStation Portable)
Lots of ottsel fun
Developed by Naughty Dog – creators of the critically acclaimed Uncharted trilogy on PS3 – the Jak & Daxter series has enjoyed about as much success as a 3D platforming franchise is capable of achieving, short of donning blue dungarees, growing a moustache and taking lessons in Italian. True to form, the series' debut on...
Review Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X (PlayStation Portable)
X marks the spot
As the long-running Mega Man series was set to enjoy its twentieth anniversary, Capcom appeared to be gearing itself up for the event with not one, but two remakes of classic Mega Man games, both of which were released exclusively on the PSP. The first one – Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X – is a remake of Mega Man X, which appeared...
Review Mega Man: Powered Up (PlayStation Portable)
Ultra Mega Mega Man
Not content with releasing a remake of Mega Man X on the PSP in the form of Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X, Capcom went and unleashed a second remake on owners of Sony's portable in the space of a month. Mega Man: Powered Up is an overhauled and infinitely deeper remake of the very first Mega Man game ever, which appeared on the NES...
Review ModNation Racers (PlayStation Portable)
On-the-go karts
ModNation Racers PSP comes so close to its PlayStation 3 counterpart that it's impossible not to compare the two titles. Sadly, that's detrimental to ModNation Racers PSP because, for everything the game gets right, the drifting component feels 'off'. However, if you're able to overcome the issue you'll find a super deep kart-racer...
Review God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PlayStation Portable)
Mini massacre
While we're huge fans of Kratos here in the Push Square office, not every PlayStation fan shares our affection. The spartan warrior's constant anger grates with many followers, so much so that they are unable to look past the character in order to enjoy the game. Despite slotting awkwardly between the first and second God of War...
Review Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PlayStation Portable)
Amazement in a moment
The first few hours of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker are a little muted — you're being eased into the experience and you're playing it on the PSP so, naturally, control issues are a concern. But slowly, the problems fade away. The plot picks up pace, the controls sink in, and the sheer ambition of the title grabs you by the...
Review Invizimals: The Lost Tribes (PlayStation Portable)
Invizimals: The Lost Tribes is a fantastic idea squandered
Frustrating technical issues, poor pacing and annoying difficulty spikes get in the way of what is ostensibly a great concept. Persevere and you will almost certainly find fun in the game's augmented reality technology, but it's hard to shake the feeling that The Lost Tribes could have been...
Review EyePet Adventures (PlayStation Portable)
A deeper emphasis on exploration makes EyePet Adventures a much bigger package than its predecessor, but its underlying longevity comes from the "make your own fun" potential that the game's technology provides
Last year when we reviewed EyePet PSP we explained how elated we'd be receiving the augmented reality experience for Christmas. Fast forward...
Review White Knight Chronicles: Origins (PlayStation Portable)
White Knight Chronicles: Origins eschews the complexities of the RPG genre, crafting a straight-forward co-operative experience that's well suited to the pick-up-and-play nature of Sony's portable platform
Despite taking a critical beating worldwide, White Knight Chronicles has been a successful endeavour for Sony in Japan. With two iterations...
Review Patapon 3 (PlayStation Portable)
Patapon 3's blend of rhythm action and RPG is as potent as ever
Despite being fundamentally familiar, the addition of online multiplayer modes extend the game's re-playability, while bringing fresh ideas to the series. The game can be far too complicating for its own good at times, but a stellar soundtrack and vivid art-style make up for the title's...
Review The 3rd Birthday (PlayStation Portable)
The 3rd Birthday is not a Parasite Eve sequel
Sure, series protagonist Aya Brea is present in all her impossibly pretty glory, but this is still not a Parasite Eve game. Those expecting a long anticipated return to the survival horror origins of the cult Japanese series will be disappointed — The 3rd Birthday is a third-person shooter that bares...
Review Everybody's Stress Buster (PlayStation Portable)
Hot Shot Shorties is a hectic, pick-up-and-play mini-game compilation hindered by the cumbersome method Sony's opted to package it
Splitting the game into four disparate XMB applications adds an additional layer of navigation to what is essentially a jump-in-jump-out package. Once you get there, the underlying gameplay is charming, addictive and...
Review EyePet (PlayStation Portable)
Remember: a dog is not just for Christmas, but an Eye Pet is
If we were presented with Eye Pet PSP as a child on Christmas morning, we'd have been beyond delighted. The game's low on content, but the initial "wow" factor of watching a desk, table, car-backseat or garden transform into a variety of environments in which the Eye Pet can play...
Review 101-In-1 Megamix (PlayStation Portable)
Despite a few exceptions, there's definite creativity in 101-In-1 Megamix's minigame roster
It's genuinely exciting not knowing what type of game to expect next, and Nordcurrent's zany presentation style only adds to the intrigue. The problem with 101-In-1 Megamix's collection is that none of the games stick. A neat progression system pushes you...
Review Pinball Heroes: Modnation Racers (PlayStation Portable)
There are some neat tricks in Pinball Heroes' presentation of Modnation Racers, but in all the table is a little flat
Perhaps the neatest part of the Modnation Racers Pinball Heroes table is its nod towards the formers creation aspect. Flipping the ball inside the Mod and Kart caverns changes the background of the table, with different designs...
Review Pinball Heroes: Fat Princess (PlayStation Portable)
The Fat Princess table in Pinball Heroes depicts the chaos of a stalemate in its source material, but it leads to a busy and complicated experience
One thing Pinball Heroes is good at is providing a pinball experience similar to the source material it's based on. The Fat Princess table carries over virtually every element you'd expect it to. Caught...
Review Pinball Heroes: Wipeout HD Fury (PlayStation Portable)
Pinball Heroes' Wipeout HD table is probably the most accessible of the bunch and it also happens to look fantastic
Wipeout HD is a game that's inherently pretty. Pinball Heroes' Wipeout table therefore, is similarly dreamy. Staying true to the source material, the Wipeout table in Pinball Heroes is all about large blocks of colour. Taking the...